ATEX 1

[Nick2003]

Has anyone come across ATEX yet ? It for equipment used in a potentially explosive atmospheres. Any relevent information would be useful or perhaps some websites.

 

[PeterCharles]

Nick2003, where are you, where have you been?

ATEX became mandatory in the EU 1st July this year.
Do you have potentially explosive atmospheres in your workplace?
Do you supply equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres?
If you answer YES to either of the above then you should know about ATEX already.
And don't forget ATEX dusts as well as gases and vapours!

OK, you want web sites so try :-

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/atex/

http://www.dti.gov.uk/strd/atex.html

http://www.hse.gov.uk/spd/spdexplo.htm

http://www.hse.gov.uk/spd/dsear.htm

http://www.safetynet.de/

and the best of luck!!

 

[Celebur]

In short, ATEX is a comprehensive European standard that merges and supersedes the various standards (like Cenelec) that were specified with "EEx ....".

As PeterCharles mentioned, this has been in progress for a while. It's part of the European Union's efforts to harmonize their standards (which tends to make more work for those of us in North America). If you supply equipment to other areas of the world, chances are that you'll need to meet ATEX.

 

[Carburize]

Depending on where you are located a number of the certifying authorities such as DNV have been offering free short courses on the implications of ATEX what can be done by manufacturers and where they need to engage external organizations. Effectively there are three levels depending on the risk. Self certification, self certification with records lodged with an independent third party and finaly third party certification.
As the other posts have indicated you need to review the legislation and see where it affects what you make. Since July 1 anything "placed on the market" in the EU needs some form of ATEX certification. Control of the process is interesting! the issues I have seen have been raised by Euopean competitors of US companies trying to use lack of ATEX certification and marking as a sales tool.

 

[PeterCharles]

It's important to recognise that ATEX places responsibilities on EMPLOYERS not just suppliers of equipment.

In fact the first step is for employers to carry out, or have carried out for them, a risk analysis of the workplace to establish if there is a 'potential explosive atmosphere' and if there is to designate the appropriate Zone. Zones 0,1,2 for gases and vapours Zones 20, 21, 22 for dusts. Suitable equipment must then be selected for use according to the Zone selected.

If manufacturers offer equipment for use in ATEX Zones then it must be certified according to Zone. The statement from Carburize is not quite correct in that if you don't place equipment on the market for use in potentially explosive atmospheres then ATEX certification is not required.

Currently non-compliant equipment already installed can still be used, you just have till 2006 to make it compliant (or replace it!!).

One concern currently is that there may be 'over zoneing'just to be on the safe side without the realisation of the serious implications this may have.

It may also have non-taffif barrier implications for those outside the EU, but the law is there and can't be ignored. I believe the transition period was 7 years untill 1st July 2003 implimentation. Maybe that was too long and everyone forgot about it untill the last minute.

 

[Nick2003]

The company I work for manufacture Air Motors and we are currently working towards category 3. However, we are finding that that most other Air Motor manufacturers & related products have not obtained approval yet either.
When you speak to the sales departments, most have not even heard of ATEX !!!

Thanks for the feedback. If anyone has actually worked on an ATEX project, I would be interested in hearing from you.